I need to know how to scare the jocks and the big guys,and the people that are hard to scare. PLEASE HELP!

Smiley

02-10-2008, 06:35 PM

Well you can't expect to scare everyone, but you can certainly try.

One thing I've found effective for myself is doing the unorthodox. Something they're not expecting. When you enter a haunted house for the first time, what do you expect the actors inside to do? People usually think the actors are going to simply snarl, yell, and keep their distance. But I don't want people to see what they expect. I want someone to think, "Uh, is suppose to be doing that? Should we get a doctor or something? Wait, wait, that's a little close. A little too close. Back off, weirdo!" What I do exactly are noises such as short rapid breathing (while trying to act like I'm chocking on my own tounge) and gargling. To make my body match the sound, I fake violent convulsions. To top it off, I get really close to the customers. How close? Close enough to literally count the hairs on their upper lip. One of the golden rules of the Haunted House is no touching. Which means we can get as up-close as we wish as long as we don't make contact. But you don't have to replicate all that to achieve your goal. Just remember "do the unexpected" (and hope for the best). If all goes well, it'll put a damper on the customers' sense of saftey and control.

jasonswoods14

02-11-2008, 02:10 PM

Thanks. I usually hear that you cant touch them,but that doesnt mean you cant get EXTREMELY close.:cool:

Infoamtek

02-11-2008, 04:51 PM

Just watch out for the "punchers."

Smiley

02-11-2008, 04:55 PM

Just watch out for the "punchers."

And the drunks. Steer clear of em'.

Motograter

02-11-2008, 05:31 PM

And the drunks. Steer clear of em'.

and watch out for the people that are trippin on drugs. Now I am a very big guy. 6 foot 10 and 275 pounds. I don't get scared walking in haunted houses because I have 10 years experience working for them plus now I own my own. I would have to say. Surprise attacks is what I call them will spook me once in a while. An actor that pops out from the wall or box. Hidden from you until it's to late. When I see a actor just standing there in the middle of the room who starts yelling at me to get out! That is just so stupid and will not scare me. Think surprise attack!!!

mindtumor

02-11-2008, 08:03 PM

and watch out for the people that are trippin on drugs. Now I am a very big guy. 6 foot 10 and 275 pounds. I don't get scared walking in haunted houses because I have 10 years experience working for them plus now I own my own. I would have to say. Surprise attacks is what I call them will spook me once in a while. An actor that pops out from the wall or box. Hidden from you until it's to late. When I see a actor just standing there in the middle of the room who starts yelling at me to get out! That is just so stupid and will not scare me. Think surprise attack!!!

You don't get scared because you can see over top of the walls and miss all of the actors jumping out, LOL!

Motograter

02-11-2008, 08:28 PM

HAHAHA this is true mindtumor. I can see over everyones heads and its great!!!

Smiley

02-12-2008, 12:02 AM

Think surprise attack!!!

Ah, that works too. Last year we had a carnival theme at the asylum. In the last room we had a stage where an actor would perform magic tricks and jokes. The patrons would sit on a bench infront of the stage. I would sit on a giant jack-in-box next to the stage and infront of the partons (who are three feet away). Oddly enough they all thought I was a stuffed prop. I sat there, waiting, trying hard not to move a muscle. Then the show would come to a close. "Okay, who wants to play Escape From the Twisted Carnival? What you're going to do is run that way when I count to three. Because they are all around you now. One....three!" Then the spot lights go out. "DINNER TIME!" As they get up from the bench to make it out of the carnival, I jump down (did I mention I was three feet away?). It's hard to put into words the expression on their faces. Shocked? Fearful? Amazed? Disgusted? Either way, it sure was effective.

Frighteners Entertainment

02-12-2008, 04:08 AM

A few things I done over the last 5 years.
No touchy feely, but doesn't mean your props can't.

And separating them from the rest of the group seems to work pretty good too.

bodybagging

02-12-2008, 07:47 AM

Hmmmmmmm Big Guys and Jocks, First thing I do is Attack their manhood, De-Manlymanning them by referring to them as penelope, and nancy and what not..... letting him know that his jock friends all made mention of his wee willy winky, so he can drop that tough guy act.....Immediatly their friends jump on board and the next thing you know the Big guy isnt soooo big any more. setting him up for all the same scares as the lil teeny boppers girly girls get.

Jim Warfield

02-12-2008, 10:02 AM

Near the end of my tour while standing in a dark room with me narrating from infront of them something will touch them on their shoulder as I am referring to "The Angel Of DEATH."
There will be people who scream, jump, look behind them as this touch co-ordinates with the spoken words and some just can't get over this experience.
Do I get in trouble for them getting touched?
No. Because I didn't do it and it is physically impossible for me to have done it.

This house IS haunted.
I thought a year ago when this first happened that maybe it was an incredible new ability coming from my mere thoughts manifesting themselves as physical actions?
I finally quit this experiement during tours because everytime the lights went back on ..the only person whose pants had fallen down were always mine!

jasonswoods14

02-12-2008, 11:51 AM

thanks for all your help

Killer Katie

02-12-2008, 08:52 PM

Like it was said before, you can't scare everybody but a startle, someone coming out of nowhere, a "light on/light off" scare has worked really well for me on e=several occasions. I had a 4 x 4 box on a 3 ft platform with a light that I could turn off and on at will. I floored a huge group of guys, and i wasn't even in costume (i was filling in for an injury). At the end of a dark hall, I was taunting them, asking them to play hide and seek, in a creepy little kid voice. When they got right in front of me, I hit the light on, screamed "you're it" and shut the light off. It worked and even the weakest of actors can feel the thrill of an actual scare.

jasonswoods14

02-13-2008, 06:50 AM

thats what i find,that many are afraid of the dark. have the light on,show just a bit of someone with a chainsaw walking around a corner,he turns it on,the lights go off.

Killer Katie

02-13-2008, 05:05 PM

Jason, you've got the right idea - I got chills thinkning about that chainsaw

Greg Chrise

02-13-2008, 05:45 PM

You can be unbelievably scary in any situation if you just project pictures while you speak or even gaze at them.

One place I worked at they hired an ex NFL line backer and he was in Manager training. Of course I listen to no one. One day he decides to put e in some kind of wrestling move which includes like one more move and you neck gets twisted off and you die.

So in a calm voice I told him you better be real good at that, because if all you do is hurt me, I will have your lungs and intestines all over the place (with the picture in my head of somekind of demonic autopsy including the counter and furnitings right around were we were and enjoying it)

He saw the pictures in my communication and jumped back and was completely scared, no dark, no chainsaw, no startle. He went on to tell everyone I was Hannible Lecture. I hadn't even seen the movie and when I did I sat there laughing in the scenes where he had butchered everyone up and escaped as everyone thought it was a mutilated policeman they were rushing out.

But, that's with the real world. In a haunted house all you have to do is jump at the groin area quick. I taught one guy this trick, he taught it to everyone at this place this and they got me with my own thing about 8 times. They didn't know it was even me that the info came from.

figured it out at the Raven's Grin Inn. Something to do with Taco Bell.

Jim Warfield

02-13-2008, 10:58 PM

Yes. that's "TACO BELL!" ...on steroids!
Semi-dark lighting helps scare some people because their imagination fills in the "blanks", IF you can get them to turn their imagination "ON" in the first place?
I do like scaring people with the lights "ON" because they are more at ease and less suspecting.....
Just stand around the corner of a wall or open door and right as someone is about to walk passed you or walk through that doorway wisk half of an old worn out wig from the floor to as high as you can reach it and watch them fall down, scream! "I was just dusting the door edge!"
Moving "Hair" is scary!

Greg Chrise

02-14-2008, 12:37 AM

I have been watching hair move/dissapear from my head for about the last 10 years. I'm afraid to look.

Jim Warfield

02-14-2008, 04:49 PM

First it hides out in your armpit for a little liquid refreshment, then it gets drunk (fermentation?) and gets giggly and slides on down south for some good times in a pubic playground.

Greg Chrise

02-14-2008, 06:19 PM

Yeah dude, I heard of that place. Hairy, Florida. I guess they have public schools too!

Killer Katie

02-14-2008, 07:54 PM

Chris and Jim.... you two are truly scary. If I ever met you guys in person, I just might be at a loss for words... LOL

Jim Warfield

02-14-2008, 09:38 PM

We got lots of words, we could loan you some.
Right Gregg, right? Gregg? Gregg, say something!

Warren Vanderdark

02-15-2008, 05:58 AM

Over the past 7 years, I've never had anyone swing at me or try to threaten me (granted, I'm primarily the "greeter" in the front hallway), but I've learned that if you adapt the persona and mannerisms that say "I'M in charge here" and stay in character, you can scare (or at least make feel uncomfortable) any patron, regardless of their size. About three years ago, I actually made two professional wrestlers jump (they're now both in the WWE) when they paid us a visit during their tenure in the OVW.

Jim Warfield

02-15-2008, 10:42 AM

Has any "puncher" ever punched someone in the first room?
They wait til they see a smaller person wearing a costume who may very well be a teenager or elderly person working in the haunt, THEN the big, macho (usually , but not always, drunk) he-man punches away!
Has any vandal-guest ever tried to kick a hole in a wall in just the first room?
If you can't inspire at least good behavior in the first couple of rooms then something is really wrong and the kids and granny working down the hallway won't stand a chance!
Why some customers see touring a haunted house as a confrontational opportunity I have never figured out, unless your show is Very confrontational and aggressive, then I guess this tells people that this is OK?
We all have choices don't we?

ReedSBF

02-15-2008, 08:48 PM

Some People show up trying to be an ass. Not everybody is looking to be scared. Some just like to be entertained. If you expect to scare everybody you will never meet you expectations. Im not promoting hiting customers but sneaking a shot at somebody that deserves one is in my eyes ok. If nobody sees it how can they sue? remember we put ourselves in their faces and leave our body and safety vulnerable.

Smiley

02-16-2008, 01:42 AM

Has any vandal-guest ever tried to kick a hole in a wall in just the first room?

No, but Mr. Wannabe-Action-Hero did kick open the make-up room door (located in the first hallway). Didn't take long for him to get thrown out; the owner of the haunt was on the other side.